Theater
by Bemused Writer
Summary: In the aftermath of killing a threat to Nightray, Gilbert finds he needs advice on his role as Raven. The only person left he can talk to is Break.


**Author's Notes:** It's been quite some time since I've written anything for Pandora Hearts but I hope this is an enjoyable piece all the same. ^^ I've been rereading it and I wanted to practice getting the characters' voices once again.

* * *

Gilbert was in trouble. Not physically; physically he was fine. No, he was having trouble … processing once again.

He'd "taken care" of a woman that had targeted the Nightrays one time too many on behalf of one of their rivals with Vincent's assistance only the night before.

Oh, their target hadn't managed to assassinate anyone but she had made several attempts at gaining Nightray secrets and that would not stand. It wasn't the first time he'd had to kill someone but it never got easier. He'd lied in bed shaking the entire night afterwards with Vincent whispering hushed words of comfort for the first hour or two, clinging to him all the while, until he'd finally sent him away in frustration.

He often wondered why anyone bothered messing with the Nightrays at all considering their reputation and how violent their retaliations tended to be.

As it was, he'd been given a choice in how he could handle the situation: kill her or convince her to back off. It hadn't been said directly but he knew the target had been interested in him. Any "convincing" would have been of a nature he was decidedly uncomfortable with.

Gilbert let out a frustrated sigh as he strapped his gun to his side and made sure he was as prepared as he was going to get. He had a meeting with Break and, much as he liked to protest any contact with the Mad Hatter, it was a relief to fill him in on what was happening. Break had more insight into these matters than he did and, while he didn't exactly ooze sympathy, he would offer suggestions provided Gilbert managed to stick around long enough to hear it.

It was ironic that the greatest danger to Nightray secrets was him and yet here he was trying to sort out how to stop others from doing the same.

They should have been quieter about it, he mused. Their spy would still be alive if they had been.

It was sunset when Gilbert finally left the Nightray manor to stroll through the park for his meeting with Break. They had established early on Gilbert would report to him once a month on their goings on. The actual reports tended to be short, but Break would always drag them on forever with his teasing. Gilbert reluctantly acknowledged to himself he probably made it worse by always reacting to whatever he said.

Even so, Gilbert found he looked forward to these meetings if only to escape his dismal existence at the Nightrays' for a while. His adopted siblings weren't generally fond of him. Vincent was nice, of course, but he was also incredibly smothering. He'd brought this up once with Break after a particularly bad incident involving Vincent, the maid, and some very misguided outrage.

"She'd only been brushing my hair," Gilbert had muttered. "What's so bad about that?"

Break had only chuckled darkly and said something about "that sewer rat" being far too predictable.

Gilbert blinked in surprise when he found himself standing before the bench they always sat on during their conversations. He'd gotten so caught up in thought he hadn't realized how swiftly he'd arrived. The setting sun shone brightly against the pavement as Gilbert took his seat. It was a chilly fall day; he hoped Break wouldn't be long.

He took a moment to light a cigarette, his hand trembling only slightly as he did so. He knew all the horrors he was facing would eventually be worth it. Once he found Oz things would go back to how they'd been before.

He took a long drag of the cigarette; Break would no doubt say he was being obtuse if he shared that particular thought with him.

Thankfully Gilbert didn't have to wait too long as he showed up only five minutes later. His white hair reflected the orange rays of the dimming sun; it softened his features, making him look far more approachable than he really was.

"Oh, it's unusual for you to be here before me!" he called with that infuriating grin fixed firmly in place.

Gilbert blew out a stream of smoke as he sat next to him. He didn't miss the slight twitch of his brow at the gesture. Break teased him about his inability to quit but he suspected this habit bothered him more than he let on.

"Perhaps Gilbert-kun would like a lollipop instead?" Break said lightly, immediately producing some from his sleeves.

"Not really," Gilbert mumbled. He put out the cigarette all the same. He wasn't in the mood for a debate with him about his habits.

"You're in a fouler mood than usual," Break said. The lollipops disappeared as swiftly as they'd been produced. "Perhaps all is not well in the Nightray house?"

"It's the same as usual. I just…"

"You still don't like murder," Break said. Gilbert jumped slightly in surprise. How on earth was he already aware of the situation? It was supposed to be top secret!

It figured that Break would know regardless. Gilbert had long wondered if he had some kind of tell that gave everything away but the one time he'd asked Break had just laughed and laughed and refused to say another word on the subject.

His stare was pointed now, all traces of humor lost. "You've been doing this for several years now. Why is this one any more difficult than the last?"

"It's a human life! Of course it matters!"

"But not as much as your master's," Break said knowingly. "We've discussed this before. What's different this time?"

"I—" Gilbert flushed in anger and embarrassment. "None of this is what I came to report to you. It's not relevant," Gilbert muttered.

"Perhaps not," Break said, that impish grin of his returning in full force, "but you are my subordinate, so I'd like to know about anything that might result in you being compromised."

Gilbert shifted uncomfortably. He'd known Break for several years now and if there was one thing that was always infuriatingly consistent about him it was that he wouldn't let up until he had the answers he sought.

"I didn't have to kill her," Gilbert forced out hastily. "But I did. That's all."

There was a long silence where Gilbert kept his eyes fixed on his shoes. The shadows were lengthening before him. It wouldn't be long before nightfall. He could hear the wind rustling the trees nearby. It felt ominous but perhaps it was simply because his heart was racing. For some reason he dreaded hearing Break's judgment.

"Why did you, then?" Break said. It was said neutrally, as if they were simply discussing the weather but Gilbert could hear the force behind the words all the same. Break wasn't angry but his interest was piqued. No doubt he was assessing whether Gilbert had become a liability or not.

"Because, t-the other option was—" Gilbert turned beet red unable to finish the sentence.

There was another silence swiftly broken by Break's light chuckles. It wasn't the usual manic laugh he often put on display. Gilbert glanced over curiously. His face was twisted into something almost like sorrow or maybe fondness but it was Break so that was surely impossible.

"Really, now. How old are you, Raven?" Gilbert didn't miss the sudden shift to his codename. "I'm sure your brother wouldn't have had any qualms with performing a seduction."

"I'd rather not think about that," Gilbert mumbled. "Besides, she'd only ever shown an interest in me at the parties and I … I don't want to do that but I could have saved her life if I had!"

"Then why worry over it? The problem is taken care of regardless."

"Because I'm a coward," Gilbert said stoically. "I say I'll do anything to bring Master Oz back but I won't do that."

"You are not a sacrificial doll, Gilbert-kun," Break said sharply. Gilbert glanced up at him in surprise. It wasn't usual for him to show any emotion outside of glee. "It's possible to give too much. Would you have your master return to a stranger?"

"I know I'm not. He won't," Gilbert said heatedly.

"Really? I often wonder," Break mused aloud. "Regardless, there are many ways to manipulate someone outside of sex."

Gilbert hadn't thought his face could go any redder but he was apparently wrong. Break rolled his eye in obvious exasperation.

"You're old enough to know about these things. You're … how old are you again?"

"Shut up," Gilbert mumbled.

"Regardless," he continued undeterred, popping a round candy into his mouth as he did so, "while seduction can be useful it's not the only way to handle such delicate situations."

"I'm not skilled enough for either," Gilbert admitted.

"No, you're not." Break let out a loud laugh at the glare thrown at him. "But I think that's for the best," he said more softly.

"Killing people isn't a good skill to have," Gilbert said.

"No," Break admitted. He looked upwards an air of contemplation about him. Night had truly fallen now and the stars twinkled vibrantly overhead. Gilbert tried to see if he could find any of the constellations but he'd never really gotten the hang of it. He snuck a look at Break who seemed to have become lost in thought.

"Have you…?" Gilbert started hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Break wasn't meeting his gaze, choosing instead to continue his stargazing. Emily was turned toward him though, so Gilbert figured he had his attention.

"Have you had to handle those kinds of … situations?" Gilbert finished awkwardly.

"I've had to handle many kinds of situations in my time," Break said evenly. "When there's a target you should carefully assess what your options are and go with the best one. It's what I did with you," he said pointedly. "You wanted a way to save your master and I needed someone to keep an eye on the Nightrays. I phrased it in a way that would be convincing to you. You see?"

Gilbert barely resisted squirming in discomfort in the way he would have as a teenager. Yes, he knew Break was using him and that he was doing the same but to have it said so bluntly still made him uncomfortable. It was another facet of his life as a nobleman he hadn't quite adjusted to even after all these years.

"However, I have never employed that sewer rat's tactics," Break said darkly. "I find them distasteful." Much like he found Vincent went unsaid but Gilbert was already more than aware of their strained relationship.

"Could you show me?" Gilbert said without thinking. Break gave him a disbelieving look but Gilbert refused to look away this time. He may have inadvertently asked for more than he'd meant to but he refused to show any more weakness to him than he already had.

Break let out a long-suffering sigh. He glanced at Emily as if to ask what he was supposed to do in this kind of situation. They both knew he had promised long ago to show him how to use everything and everyone although, if Gilbert really thought about it, Break had spent a lot more time training him to fight than to manipulate anything. He wondered why.

"It's just like theater, Gilbert-kun," he finally said, moving a bit closer to fiddle with a lock of Gilbert's hair. His gaze was unusually serious. "All you have to do is convince the audience you mean what you say. Seduce them into reacting the way you want them to and soon they'll be doing what you want them to."

Gilbert let out a short "hm" of acknowledgment. He didn't move away; he'd long gotten used to Break's strange mannerisms and getting into Gilbert's personal space was one of them.

Still, he understood how it all was supposed to work but he'd always been far too straightforward. He didn't understand how he could maneuver another person so subtly. Break gave a small smirk, no doubt picking up on his consternation.

"For example," Gilbert jumped as Break rested a hand on top of his own. Now that was unexpected. Neither of them was particularly affectionate, especially not with one another, and the gesture came as a complete surprise, "let's say I want to reassure you. Pretend you don't know me," Break said at the disbelieving look Gilbert threw him, "because if you didn't this would be more likely to work."

Gilbert gave him a hesitant nod. He supposed if someone was entirely unfamiliar with Break the gesture might seem reassuring, hard as that was to believe.

Break gripped his hand with a little more pressure; his expression was strained. It was odd seeing anything other than cheer on his features. He spent so much time teasing him that Gilbert had nearly forgotten he was capable of anything else.

"Now, let's say you've recently lost something important to you and I need you to do something for me," the scenario sounded suspiciously familiar but Gilbert let him continue, "and I have limited time to convince you to do so. Contact like this," he gestured to their hands, "is imperative in this situation. Everyone has a reaction to touch and most people want to be comforted in their sorrow."

"I don't remember you doing anything particularly comforting when you asked me to be your eye," Gilbert said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"No? Think about it."

Gilbert had done his best not to think about it for several years but at Break's raised eyebrow he forced himself to recollect that horrible, rainy day where he'd lost his master.

"You … grabbed my face? Gave me candy?"

"You see? Both perfectly comforting things."

"Neither of those things made me feel better!" Gilbert exclaimed.

Break let go of him and laughed jollily.

"Ah, but I gave you hope, didn't I? You felt a connection to me, didn't you?"

"I—" Yes, he had, as infuriating as it was to admit. He'd even kept the hat Break had left behind and spent long hours ruminating over it as if it would give him answers to all of his hardest questions.

Much like he was demanding of the man himself now.

"I suppose I see how it would be employed," Gilbert acknowledged reluctantly. Break had played him like a fiddle back then. He'd known it at the time but seeing it laid out so plainly was alarming.

"And not the slightest untoward tactic. You see? There are many ways to get what you want."

"You're saying I shouldn't have killed her then. I was wrong." It hurt more than Gilbert wanted to say.

"No," Break said softly. He gently tilted his face up to meet his gaze. His red eye stared intently into Gilbert's own. "I'm saying there may have been other options. You might be able to use them in the future. But I looked into her before I came here today. There wasn't much you could have done to convince her to leave the Nightrays alone. Now, give me your report, Raven," he finished cheerfully, patting Gilbert's cheek condescendingly.

Gilbert let out an annoyed huff but Break's smile didn't falter as he told him about the Nightrays that month.

It was only when he was settling back into bed that it occurred to Gilbert that Break may have been lying to him. He had no proof to show he'd looked into the woman at all. He'd just … touched his face, said something that would reassure him, and then distracted him.

Gilbert glared at the hat Break had left behind all those years ago. He had it propped on one of the chairs across from his bed as a reminder of his duty.

He'd been played like a fiddle once again.

Strangely, he couldn't bring himself to feel all that upset about it. Break had given him some hope that maybe he hadn't been entirely in the wrong. He'd kept things in perspective.

He'd given him some useful advice on how to manipulate people.

Gilbert suspected he wouldn't be able to put it to use. He wasn't skilled at it whatsoever but he supposed he might have a better idea of when such tactics were being used against him.

He doubted it would do much good against Break himself but, perhaps in this one thing, he was content to allow him to remain the undisputed master.


End file.
